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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · rock · bank · fall · swing · object · pound · field

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. swing — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. field — for sport
  5. fall — the season
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — a subject
  15. object — a thing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com